Rev. Wawrzyniec Kuśniak’s service of the Word (1788-1866)

Abstract

The beatification process of the Servant of God, Rev. Wawrzyniec Kuśniak, COr (1788-1866) has become an opportunity to recall and investigate his preaching heritage in the form of 18 preserved sermons for various occasions. In this paper, the sermons were subjected to a homiletical analysis. Most of them were built according to the frame commonly used at that time, the so called proper sermon. Fr. Kuśniak eagerly seeks recourse to biblical and patristic evidence, showing extensive expertise in both the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Church Fathers. The performed analysis demonstrates clearly that the author is aware of the significance and power of God’s words, and, contrary to many other preachers of his time, does not limit his role in the sermon only to providing illustrations or arguments. He is just as serious about the teaching of the Church. Rev. Kuśniak does not present faith as the sum of a range of dogmas and moral obligations, but tries to show in his sermons God’s economy, oriented towards the authentic transformation and salvation of an individual. The sermons contain many specific references to the lives of his listeners, which renders them practical. This dimension depicts Fr. Kuśniak as committed to his ministry. The message of his sermons seems to still be relevant today, whereas his preaching and pastoral attitude - a role model for the current preachers of God’s words. In the same vein, the preaching of Rev. Kuśniak gives a representative picture of Polish service of the Word in Greater Poland in the first half of the 19th century.